My Organized Biz

When you have a business, sometimes it’s difficult to organize your own holiday preparations so that one or the other (business or family) aren’t neglected.  You must keep your business going to bring in the income. 
Yet family expect holiday preparations, festivities and attendance at various activities throughout December.

Make a list of what you need to do, businesswise and holiday wise.
Some of these might overlap as you make business holiday preparations, too.
Can you involve your family in some of your business festivities?
If you have employees, have them give you a list beforehand of times they need off.  Thus you’re less likely …read more

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How can I get out from under this mess? you wonder, as you gaze around a cluttered office, mixed up closet, disarrayed kitchen.
Some people try to find the time to do it themselves.  Others hire a professional organizer, someone who has developed a business of organizing others…their home, office, clothing, closets and life.
Do you need someone to give suggestions but not do the physical rearranging?  Or do you want someone to do everything?
I’m not sure I’d want someone to do all my rearranging because only I know what I need to keep, what I need now, what later and then other …read more

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In response to my post,  Using See-Through Containers & Holders, Jessica responded by sharing her experience with see-through bins and jars.
For a lot of things see thru bins are great, I love how even if they aren’t really
labeled, you can pretty much tell at a glance what’s in them…for things like my
origami collection, having a see thru bin inspires me to make more.
but there’s also exceptions, stuff that looks so cluttery, that even containerized you
don’t want to see it…the toolkit and cleaning supplies and whatnot, that I prefer to
keep in opaque containers.
I agree with Jessica.  There are times when see-through …read more

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After spending considerable time looking for addresses that I’ve jotted down from e-mail or the phone, I’m trying to develop the habit of “writing an address only once.”
Today I received an address from a colleague for someone I need to write a letter.  Instead of writing the address on a scrap of paper near the laptop, I got my note taker little notebook where I jot down odds and ends and reminders.  Then I immediately got an envelope and wrote it there.
Actually that was writing it twice but I didn’t have to spend considerable time looking for it when I …read more

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Frequently shelves are a great help in our organizing.  We can use them in the office for books and supplies, for containers and shelf organizers. 
They can be utilized in a work area to make the most use of wall space.  (Sometimes, rather than building shelves on a wall, we use shelving units.)
Fabric artists like to use shelves for their fabrics, often color coding them or organizing by type of material.  They also can place jars and other containers on shelves.
If you feel your shelves are too messy or can’t be arranged attractively, you might want to get units with doors …read more

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One of the biggest distractions from good organization is neglecting to put items back in their proper place whether a shelf, a box, a container, a hanger or a jar.  We so often will use something, perhaps something in our office, something for production, or for performing a service, and won’t take the time to return it.
Then when we need it again, we don’t know where to look.  Or it gets moved to another place because it was left in the way of the next task. 
I’ve done this time and again.  I’ve finished a task but don’t take the time to return …read more

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Do you search through drawers, boxes and containers for specific supplies?  Would taking time to label them help you and save time?
Too many times I’ve put items away, thinking I’d remember where they were because I didn’t want to take the time to label.  Or take the time to sort and organize items instead of stuffing them all together in one place.
Even a minimum amount of sorting and labeling would help me.
So label, label, label!  It wouldn’t matter whether you use a professional label maker or stick masking tape or sticky labels to the items, drawers, containers. 
Do you have a …read more

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Do you often wonder what’s in the boxes and other containers in your office, work room, storage area or even your shop?  Have you spent considerable time sorting through non see-through containers for items you want. 
Even when the containers are marked, you don’t see at first glance what’s in there.
What about, whenever possible, using see-through plastic jars, and bins, glass containers and even wire baskets so you can quickly determine what’s at your fingertips.  Also, as you look around your work area and have your supplies where you can see them, you might gain inspiration.
Do you use see-through containers for …read more

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As I write more and more blogs, plus newspaper columns, I find I must become better organized. 
I have a habit of jotting down ideas on whatever pieces of paper I have handy and putting them all in a folder, on a pad of paper, or on my desk.
This had become unmanageable chaos until I began separating and categorizing.  Why didn’t I do this before?  Because I was working at only one or two blogs and one column.  I was able to keep them compartmentalized in my mind.
Suddenly the situation esculated…in a good way because now I am writing many blogs.  So …read more

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What happens when you have an old roll top desk, one that’s been in your family for years, but it isn’t too condusive for a computer and other modern office equipment?
Do you simply part with it or try to organize it for a computer, printer, fax, etc.?  Can it be converted for any of this modern equipment and still be efficient?
Because most roll tops are large and offices are relatively small, you’d have to make maximum use of the desk.  My husband has been pondering this about a roll top handed down to him from his father.  We really don’t want …read more

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